There are only two weeks left in the regular season. I went 2-3 last week, so my record on the year is 47-28. In Week 16, most of picks are driven by clinching scenarios, and more specifically, by teams who have to win in order to attain either a better seed or a playoff berth.
Here are my picks for Week 16:
DALLAS COWBOYS over Tampa Bay Buccaneers
-The 8-6 Cowboys are a 7-point favorite at home against the 5-9 Buccaneers, Sunday at 1 p.m. Dallas was shut out last Sunday in Indianapolis, 23-0, but has a golden opportunity to make it right by beating Tampa Bay and winning the NFC East. That’s all it’s going to take for the Cowboys to win the division, just beat a Buccaneers team that’s lost two straight and has already been eliminated from playoff contention. Dallas is 6-1 at home this season, while Tampa Bay is 1-6 on the road. Taking the Cowboys here is a no-brainer.
CLEVELAND BROWNS over Cincinnati Bengals
-It’s a long shot, but the 6-7-1 Browns are still mathematically alive in the AFC playoff picture. They need to win out and get help. I don’t think the Browns are actually going to make the playoffs, but something needs to be said for the fact that they are still alive and it’s almost Christmas. Usually, Cleveland’s season is over by early October. Now, in Week 16, the Browns are an 8-point favorite at home against a 6-8 Bengals team that’s been eliminated from playoff contention. The Browns have already beaten Cincy once this year. And I think they’ll do it again. Give me Cleveland to win their third straight, Sunday at 1.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS over Detroit Lions
-The 7-6-1 Vikings picked up a much-needed win last Sunday at home over the Miami Dolphins, snapping a two-game losing skid. Minnesota now travels to Detroit Sunday at 1 to take on a 5-9 Lions team that has nothing left to play for. The Vikings have everything to play for, as a win combined with a Washington loss and a Philadelphia loss will clinch Minnesota a Wild Card berth. The Vikings are currently the No. 6 seed in the NFC, and I’m projecting that’s where they’ll remain through Week 16. I’ll take Minnesota — a 5.5-point favorite — to win their eighth game of the season.
LOS ANGELES RAMS over Arizona Cardinals
-What’s up with the Rams? They’re now 11-3 after losing two straight to the Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles. If the playoffs began today, they’d still get a first-round bye as the No. 2 seed, but they now have Chicago breathing down their neck at 10-4. LA can clinch that first-round bye with a win over the 3-11 Cardinals and a Chicago loss in San Francisco. I’d say there’s no way that the Bears lose to the 49ers, but it after San Fran’s win over Seattle last week, it seems that they enjoy playing the role of spoiler. Both games are at 4:05, but if you’re the Rams, as a 13.5-point favorite, you just have to take care of your own business. And that is something I think they’ll do easily on Sunday in Arizona.
LOCK OF THE WEEK: NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS over Buffalo Bills
-OK, let’s try this again. The “AFC East champion” hats and T-shirts will be in the building on Sunday once again. This will be the third straight week that the Patriots will have a chance to clinch the division. This time, they won’t need Miami to also lose. New England can clinch its 10th straight division title by simply beating the 5-9 Bills, Sunday at 1 at Gillette Stadium. The 9-5 Patriots have lost two straight to Miami and Pittsburgh, and they are currently the No. 3 seed in the AFC behind the 10-4 Houston Texans and the 11-3 Kansas City Chiefs. As bad as it might seem here in New England, the Pats still have a realistic shot at a first-round bye. They hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Texans, so if Houston loses in Philadelphia on Sunday and the Patriots beat the Bills, then the Patriots will slide right back up into that No. 2 seed, and before you know it, the Patriots will have a home game in the Divisional Round and will probably end up back in the AFC Championship Game for the eighth straight year. So don’t give up on the Pats just yet. They’re a 13-point favorite on Sunday, and there’s no way they don’t win this game at home, where they’re 6-0 this season. Give me New England to snap a two-game losing skid and celebrate another AFC East crown.
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